“The toilet wins again in mystery”… What are the items that are more dirty than a toilet?

In our daily life ‘slime‘There are things that try to avoid or minimize contact. Representative examples include toilet seats, trash cans, and toilet handles. However, although we touch it every day in our daily lives, there are dirtier things that we are not aware of. The joke that ‘it turns out toilets are the cleanest’ didn’t just come out.

Cell phone (smart phone) = According to data from the American career platform ‘Zippia’, on average, we touch our phones about 96 times a day, once every 10 to 12 minutes.

A University of Arizona study found that cell phones harbor about 10 times more bacteria than toilet seats. Among these bacteria, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus are included. Therefore, if the liquid crystal touches the skin while talking on the phone, skin problems such as acne and folliculitis may occur.

Germs on mobile phones can also be the main culprit in transmitting infectious diseases. If a person with an infectious disease such as the flu touches a cell phone and then touches the cell phone and then touches the nose or mouth, the bacteria can enter the respiratory tract and become contagious. If you return home after going out, you should disinfect your phone by wiping it with a cloth soaked in 60-70% alcohol.

shopping cart handle = Supermarket carts can be covered in invisible fecal particles and contain more bacteria than a toilet seat. Dr. Kunal Sood, a pain medicine professor at the University of Maryland, said grocery store carts can be a source of infections such as hand, foot and mouth disease, which can cause mouth sores and rashes on the hands and feet.

Additionally, a University of Arizona study found that more than 75% of grocery store shopping carts tested positive for fecal bacteria. Dr. Sood said, “This shows that shopping carts are dirtier than bathrooms,” and recommended that people wipe the handles with a disinfecting tissue before use.

Toothbrush handle = The bristles of the toothbrush are washed with water after brushing the teeth, but the toothbrush handle is rarely cleaned, creating an environment in which bacteria can multiply. In addition, germs and bacteria on wet hands may transfer, and the moisture may cause yeast and mold to grow, so caution is required.

According to a survey by the American Hygiene Association, toothbrush handles are highly likely to contain E. coli. E. coli is a bacterium found in the intestines of animals and is known to cause gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting when it enters the human body. It is estimated that about 265,000 diseases occur and about 100 people die due to E. coli infection every year.

office mug = Mugs kept in the office are susceptible to germs even if you wash them every day. The University of Arizona claims that the cause of bacterial infection is the commonly used scrubber. This is because while washing multiple cups, coliform bacteria, including E. coli, can get on them and be transferred. It is recommended to clean the scrubber once a day by adding soda and vinegar (citric acid) to a bucket of hot water.

birthday cake = The explanation is not that there are bacteria in the cake itself, but that bacteria released from the mouth while blowing out birthday candles can be transferred to the cake.

In fact, a study in the Journal of Food Research found that blowing out a candle led to the formation of 15 times more bacteria than when the candle was not blown out. At this time, if the person who blew out the candle is sick or has an underlying disease, infectious bacteria may spread around the cake, so caution is required.

laundry = Laundry is an activity done to remove dust and contaminants from clothes. However, according to a study published in the American Journal of Environmental Microbiology, some viruses can remain alive and attached to clothes even after washing.

The researchers found that both adenovirus and rotavirus survived even after washing and drying. Adenovirus is known to be a virus that causes respiratory diseases such as cough, fever, runny nose, and pneumonia. Rotavirus is highly contagious and particularly affects infants and children under 5 years of age. It causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and bloody stool, and 600,000 people die annually from this virus worldwide.

As a preventative measure, you should dry your laundry in the sun or use a dryer immediately after taking it out of the washing machine. Additionally, the residue left behind due to excessive use of detergent causes bacteria and mold inside the washing machine, so it is best to clean the inside of the washing machine frequently and use an appropriate amount of detergent.